The Golden Age of Basketball

Chapter 556 Threat
The game between the Clippers and the Trail Blazers was unexpectedly intense.

The winning streak has dampened the Trail Blazers' desire for victory, and the six-game road trip has left the players slightly fatigued.

Given the Clippers' relatively weaker strength, and the Trail Blazers' easy victory in their November game, the team didn't take the game seriously enough, leading to them falling behind in the first quarter.

The Clippers' record is mediocre, but there are no absolutely weak teams in the NBA; anyone can win or lose in the regular season.

In November, the Clippers surprised everyone by defeating the Chicago Bulls by 24 points at home.

In addition to Danny Manning, the Clippers also traded Danny Ferry and Reggie Williams to the Cleveland Cavaliers on November 16 for Ron Harper.

The main reason for the trade was not to strengthen the roster, but because Danny Ferry no longer wanted to play for the Clippers.

After being selected fourth overall in the first round by the Clippers in 1989, Ferry refused to report to the Clippers.

In the summer, he accepted an invitation from an Italian league team and went to play in the Apennine Peninsula.

Since Ferry preferred to play in Europe rather than come to the Clippers, the Clippers couldn't just watch their fourth pick go to waste. So they had to package Ferry's draft rights with Reggie Williams and send them to Cleveland in exchange for Harper.

One reason Ferry didn't want to go to the Clippers was because the Clippers had a bad reputation, known as a graveyard for star players.

The team has signed many well-known stars, such as Walton, Marquese Johnson, Maxwell, Jamal Wilkes, Norm Nixon, and so on.

As a result, these stars who once dominated their own teams all became obsolete after joining the Clippers, and none of them were able to lead the Clippers to success.

By the 1989-1990 season, the Clippers were back to square one, starting from scratch.

Logically, this kind of environment should be suitable for Ferry to perform well, but Ferry believes that the Clippers have too many young forwards.

They have Danny Manning, the number one draft pick, as well as Michael Young, Chris Smith, Ken Norman, and Reggie Williams.

Before the draft, Ferry, a Duke graduate, never imagined he would be selected by the Clippers; he didn't even try out for the Clippers.

After being unexpectedly dropped, he thought it over and decided not to sign a contract, but instead went to Italy to play for a year.

The Ferry incident demonstrates just how bad the Clippers' reputation is in the NBA; nobody wants to play for them.

However, for the Clippers, trading Ferry for Harper was actually a good thing.

Because white forwards like Ferry are very effective in the NCAA and the Italian league.

However, in the NBA, with forwards becoming stronger and faster, Ferry has come at a disadvantage.

Duke produces players with good technical skills, decent basketball IQ, and high tactical awareness, but poor physical attributes and limited potential.

After all, there is only one Larry Bird. Since Bird, it has been difficult for white forwards to achieve what he did. They have mostly become role players, or even worse, because their defense is not good.

So the Clippers made a rare and highly profitable deal – because their counterparty was the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers' decision to trade Ron Harper was baffling, especially considering their 57-win season last year.

A record of 57 wins is enough to contend for the championship in many NBA seasons, and it is the best record in Cavaliers history.

Although they suffered a heartbreaking defeat in the first round, losing to Jordan's "The Shot" and failing to advance to the next round, they were upset by the underdog.

But 57 wins is enough to show that their tactics, lineup and style of play are successful, and they can go even further in the new season.

Harper is a crucial figure in the Cavaliers' backcourt, averaging 18 points, 5 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game. He is a well-rounded player with strengths on both offense and defense.

As a result, the Cavaliers suddenly traded him, sending Harper away in exchange for Ferry, and also giving up four draft picks.

In NBA trades, the only team that can truly benefit the Clippers is the Cavaliers.

There are likely two reasons why the Cavaliers traded Harper.

One is that although Harper was excellent and played a prominent role, he was badly beaten in his matchup against Jordan.

In last year's playoffs between the Bulls and the Cavaliers, Jordan averaged 39.8 points per game in the series, including a 50-point game and the game-winning shot in the final game, which can be said to have decimated the Cavaliers.

In the season opener against the Cavaliers, Harper once again dominated the Cavaliers' backcourt with a 54-point performance, leading to disappointment among the Cavaliers' management towards Harper.

Another reason is that Harper's friend was arrested by the police for involvement in a drug case. Although there is no evidence that Harper used drugs, the Cavaliers' management is very worried that Harper might be involved.

If a player is involved in drug use, they will be banned for life, which is a direct loss to the team and a significant blow.

Taking both of these factors into consideration, the Cavaliers' shrewd management hastily traded Harper away just two weeks into the new season.

After trading Harper away, Ferry had already signed with an Italian team, so he would play in the Italian league first and then come to the Cavaliers next season.

The Cavaliers stated that they are patient, have confidence in Ferry, and are willing to wait until he fulfills his Italian contract before joining the Cavaliers.

In their press release, they stated, "Boston waited a year for Larry Bird, San Antonio waited two years for David Robinson, and we believe Danny Ferry is worth the wait."

They believe Danny Ferry will be the next Larry Bird, a white star who can bring about a qualitative change for the Cavaliers.

As a result, when the Cavaliers welcomed Danny Ferry in the 1990-1991 season, the management began to regret it after only a few games.

Danny Ferry, let alone averaging 20 points per game, struggles to score in double digits every game while playing for the Cavaliers.

The Cavaliers lost Harper, a very important all-around backcourt player. The team's good chemistry was disrupted, and the team's record became unstable. They no longer had the momentum of 57 wins last season.

On the contrary, after acquiring Harper, the Clippers, who had only won two games, first defeated the Chicago Bulls.

Then, on December 7th, they cruised to a 17-point victory at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers, with Ron Harper racking up 29 points and 9 rebounds, defeating his former team that had abandoned him. Cavaliers head coach Lenny Wilkens was deeply disappointed with the management's decision; they had already lost Kevin Johnson, and now they had lost Ron Harper as well.

Trading Kevin for Larry Nance is a decent return.

What did they get in return for trading Harper? Reggie Williams in the 89-90 season, and then a white forward would come along…

The Cavaliers played a great hand terribly, while the Clippers, who got a bargain, played quite well tonight.

They not only led in the first quarter, but also maintained their strong momentum in the second quarter, disrupting the Trail Blazers' offense with tight defense.

The Trail Blazers only scored 18 points in the first quarter, while the Clippers scored 20. In the second quarter, after bringing in their second unit, the Trail Blazers continued to struggle offensively.

Bobby Bellman made substitutions on the bench, constantly experimenting with different lineup combinations and pairings to find the optimal solution for the lineup.

Of course, regardless of the circumstances, Gan Guoyang is a key figure in these lineups.

As the team leader, Gan Guoyang is truly exceptional; he can adapt to every type of teammate combination.

With Sabonis and Divac on the court, he is an excellent power forward, playing outside on defense and making excellent interceptions.

Occasionally, Bellman would use a three-high lineup, trying out Sabonis, Divac, or Thompson on the court at the same time, and having Gan Guoyang play the small forward position.

At this point, Gan Guoyang will increase his three-point shooting frequency to create space for the big men as much as possible.

Of course, this three-high-ranking Bellman lineup is rarely used, as it's too cumbersome.

When playing as a forward, Gan Guoyang often facilitates and receives the ball, and many of his assists come from counter-attack combinations with Kossie and Robinson.

When there are many guards, he will play as a target man center, and he will have a good center-guard combination with players such as Hornacek, Porter, and Sanders.

Different guards require different approaches to play together. With Hornacek, he often uses cuts and handoffs; with Porter, he sets screens and cuts to the basket; and with Petrovic, he plays high-post support. In short, the focus and details vary from guard to guard.

Even with a blue-collar guard like Sanders, Gan Guoyang can still play some small combinations with him, and he can adjust himself according to Sanders' personal habits.

Sometimes, it's less about Bellman experimenting with lineups and more about experimenting with Forrest Gump, seeing how much potential he still has.

Behrman knew that Forrest Gump never needed a system built for him; he was the system. He could compensate for other people's shortcomings instead of having others fill in his gaps.

The Trail Blazers' offense was off tonight, and their outside shooting was terrible.

At halftime, the Clippers led the Trail Blazers 44-40, while the Trail Blazers only managed 40 points in the first half.

Throughout the first half, Gan Guoyang spent most of his time passing, facilitating, and setting screens to create opportunities for his teammates.

Unfortunately, my teammates were all useless, and everyone was in poor form.

Sabonis and Petrovic have both been experiencing gastrointestinal problems and are not in good physical condition for the past two days.

Mitchell Thompson's injuries have been recurring, and he developed some inflammation after returning to Portland.

Hornacek caught a cold at Milwaukee airport the day before yesterday and had some cold symptoms, but he still insisted on participating in the game.

That's how the NBA season is; players are human, not like game stats, and their performance is affected by many factors.

Even someone as consistent as Gan Guoyang has his ups and downs during the season, but he was in great form tonight.

In the third quarter, everyone thought Gan Guoyang would take over the game.

But he didn't. He continued to pass the ball, facilitate, and set screens, only taking shots when there was an absolutely perfect opportunity.

The two sides fought fiercely, with the lead changing hands frequently, making for a very intense match.

During a timeout, Jerry West from the back row leaned over to Gan Guoyang and asked, "Sonny, why don't you take more shots and score more points? You could beat them."

West could tell that Gan Guoyang was clearly holding back.

Gan Guoyang took a sip of water and said, "I want to conserve my energy for the next game against Michael and give them a surprise."

West said, "No matter who the opponent is, you should give it your all and win the game. I believe that with your physical condition, you don't need to conserve your energy."

Gan Guoyang thought West made a lot of sense; if they lost this game, Jordan might laugh at him.

So in the latter part of the third quarter, Gan Guoyang suddenly stepped up his game, leading the Trail Blazers on a 10-2 run to establish a lead.

Once Gan Guoyang got going, half the pressure on the other Trail Blazers players was relieved, and their shooting touch gradually returned.

The Trail Blazers, who already had the advantage in strength, finally overtook the Clippers in the fourth quarter, winning 91-98, a 7-point victory at home.

At the end of the game, Baylor asked his old friend, "What did you say to Sonny? As soon as you said it, he led the team to a decisive victory. I thought we could win."

West said, "I said if we lost this game, Berman would hang himself at his doorstep. He took care of Bobby and won the game."

"What? Jerry, what... what is this... a threat?"

"Heh, that's Bobby's trick. He used to threaten Forrest Gump like that."

If Bellman heard this, he would feel very wronged, because he hadn't done it in a long time.

(End of this chapter)